After The Sphere
by MasterDuelistMichael
Summary: I've got an ALTERNATE ENDING to 'Sphere and Loathing in Outer Space' for you...with plenty of Milolissa buildup to come! Rated T for safety and teen angst.
1. Melissa Takes The Plunge

**So...this just popped into my head - instead of completely rewriting 'Sphere and Loathing', how about an ALTERNATE ENDING with Milolissa buildup following? Didn't see that coming, did ya? Also, be on the lookout for a special shoutout to the Apollo 11 mission. ROLL IT!**

* * *

We pick things up on Octalia, where Milo, his friends, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and an army of Octalians had rallied together to save Orguluth form the Sphere of Calamity. All other plans had failed until Milo came up with the idea for all Octalians to share the negative probability ions that were attracted to Orguluth.

The plan had worked.

Octalia had been saved from the Sphere of Calamity and Orguluth was somewhat freed from her hex, as it was now shared among her fellow Octalians. On the Octalian ship, Milo and friends (with Doofenshmirtz) wished their new alien friends well in their new lives.

* * *

"Remember, sometimes things will go wrong. But the good news is you can face it together!" Milo said, rallying the Octalians.

"No fear?" Melissa asked.

"No fear," Zack confirmed, getting a punch from Melissa.

Melissa smiled, looking towards her jinxed friend.

"Now...there's something I have to do..." the ginger said, walking down the ship's bridge to Milo.

* * *

"Oh. Hey Melissa!"

"Milo, when we were battling that sphere, we showed no fear...well, except for me. I feared that you'd be hurt - or worse - and I'd never be able to get to tell you how I really feel about you..."

"Melissa, what are you saying?" Milo asked with a puzzled look on his face only to have Melissa peck him on the cheek.

* * *

"Did...Did Melissa just kiss me?" the jinx asked.

"Uh, I think she did," Zack told Milo before blowing kissy faces at him.

"Get on the ship, you dunce-bucket," Milo deadpanned. "We'll talk about this later."

"Whatever, man."

* * *

On the ship, Dr. Doofenshmirtz was the first to approach Milo.

"Hey, Milo. What's got you buggin'?" The former evil scientist asked.

Milo said nothing, he remained distant.

"Melissa kissed me, Dr. D.!" Milo then called out. "She's been my best friend since we were little kids and now...she kissed me! How am I gonna deal with the fact that my best friend has a thing for me while I have a crush on Amanda?"

"Oh boy..." Dr. Doofenshmirtz began. "I've seen this kind of situation only one other time."

"Where, Dr. Doofenshmirtz?"

"It was on a show my daughter watched when she was a little girl - 'Kim Possible'. There was one episode that stuck out to me: 'Emotion Sickness'. In it, Ron got coerced into a date with Kim thanks to these green microchips called Moodulators that controlled and amplified people's emotions. Before the date, he struggled with how he truly felt about Kim. He considered taking the next step, but feared how it would wreck his friendship with her if things didn't work. It wasn't until 'So The Drama' that Ron finally took the plunge after he and Kim got captured by Dr. Drakken during the Diablo Invasion."

"See, that's what I'm grappling with now. I have a thing for Amanda but I like Melissa too, but I'm not sure if I like her THAT way."

"Milo, I'm not sure if I can help on this one - but if I can give you any speck of advice on this matter, I'd say that when the time is right, you'll know what to do."

'So, Doofenshmirtz was no help. When we get home, I'll talk to Sara,' Milo thought to himself as the ship crashed on the moon due to Murphy's Law.

* * *

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"Looks like we crashed..." Loab told everyone. "We're on your moon, kids."

"We're on the moon?!" Zack called out in a fanboyish tone.

"Milo, did you bring the spacesuits?" Melissa asked.

Milo smiled, pulling out spacesuits for him, Melissa and Zack. "We're about to be the first teens to set foot on the moon!" the jinx declared. "Can we, Loab?"

"Fixing the ship may take a while, so go ahead!"

The trio put on their spacesuits and Milo led them out of the ship onto the moon.

* * *

"So...we really did land here in '69. Everything Murawski taught us about the Apollo mission was a lie!" Zack said, earning another punch from Melissa. "OW! QUIT IT!"

Melissa scoffed at Zack, slinging her right arm around Milo. "The Earth, from 230,000 miles, is a bright, shiny object. As you look at it, you have a strong attraction to it - because you know it's your home. Everything you've ever known your entire life is right there in a tiny dot. You can blot it out with your thumbnail if you stick it out in front of you," Melissa quoted one of the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Zack smiled "Beautiful...magnificent. Beautiful desolation."

Milo took a look at his surroundings. He was really on the moon. "For those who haven't read the plaque, let me read the plaque. Here, men from the planet Earth set foot on the moon - July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind. This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Milo blushed as he caught sight of Melissa's arm around him. However, he quickly regained his composure. 'This isn't right! Melissa's just my best friend! I don't like her like that? Do I?'

* * *

About an hour later, the Octalian ship was fixed up and the trio returned aboard to head home. And not a moment too soon...Milo's got a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

**So, yes...this will be multi-chapter because Milo's got a lot of people to talk to and a lot of thinking to do after what Melissa just pulled on him. Up next: Milo goes right to his sister for advice...with some fangirlish results. See you then and remember...**

**IT'S MILO'S WORLD AND WE'RE ALL LIVING IN IT!**


	2. Parental Guidance

**When last we left Milo, he was heading home from Octalia after paying tribute to the Apollo 11 astronauts. Oh...and Melissa kissed him, leading to an internal struggle for our favorite jinx. ROLL IT!**

* * *

Later that day, Milo, Melissa, Zack, Dakota, Cavendish, Perry and Doofenshmirtz returned to Earth in front of Milo's home. As they all dispersed and the Octalian ship flew off into deep space, Milo went right to his room and closed himself inside. An hour later, his parents came in.

"You've been strangely quiet today, Milo," his mother was quick to point out.

"What's wrong, champ?" his father asked.

* * *

"Melissa kissed me..." Milo said under his breath.

"What's that, honey?" Milo's mother asked.

"MELISSA KISSED ME! SHE JUST TOLD ME SHE LOVES ME!" he called out to the shock of his parents.

"Melissa...your best friend...Melissa Chase...has a crush on you?"

"How long has she had a crush on you, Milo?" Mr. Murphy asked.

"I have no idea. All I know is that after my friends and I saved an alien planet from utter destruction, Melissa came out and told me she has a thing for me. All of a sudden, she kissed me on the cheek!" Milo explained...and who should show up at that moment but his fangirl sister Sara!

* * *

"Did I hear right? Did Milo finally get his first kiss?"

"I guess so, Sara..."

"Who was it from?"

"It was from Melissa..."

Sara squealed in delight. "IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING! MY BROTHER AND HIS BEST FRIEND ARE FINALLY HOOKING UP! I'VE WAITED FOR THIS DAY FOR YEARS AND NOW IT'S HERE! MY OTP IS FINALLY CANON!" the blonde shrieked, walking off.

"Sometimes I just don't get Sara," Milo deadpanned.

"Neither do we, son," Mr. and Mrs. Murphy answered.

* * *

"So...you were saying, Milo?" Mrs. Murphy asked.

"Mom, Dad...I like Melissa, but I'm not sure if I like her THAT way, plus...I have a thing for Amanda..."

"Latina girl, wears magenta a lot, a little OCD?" Mr. Murphy asked.

"That's the one."

* * *

Mrs. Murphy smiled and put an arm on her son's shoulder. "Milo, this is just like an episode of that show you and Sara watched when you were little kids - 'Kim Possible'. In one episode, Ron got jealous of an artistic boy in his class that he felt was stealing Kim from him - Josh Mankey."

"You do know that 'Mankey' is but one vowel away from 'Monkey'?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point, Milo. Has Melissa ever gotten jealous when she saw you with Amanda?"

Milo took a while to think about it. Now that his parents have mentioned it, Melissa probably did show jealousy around Amanda, but he never noticed it because Melissa is so good at hiding her emotions. If Melissa were a professional poker player, she'd be top-ranked for sure.

"If she has...I've never noticed it."

"How do you think Melissa feels when she sees you around Amanda?"

* * *

Milo thought about it for a while. He tried to place himself in Melissa's pink sneakers. It hit him harder than a concrete drainage pipe. When Melissa saw him and Amanda together, she felt like Amanda was going to take Milo away from her...and there in lied the jealousy. Melissa had become Ron when he saw Kim around Josh Mankey.

"Oh no..." Milo started. "...I really have been leaving Melissa out to dry when I'm around Amanda...and now all these new emotions for my best friend are coming up...I don't know what to do!"

"Look, Milo...I get it. You're afraid you'll lose her if you don't reciprocate or if you two do end up dating and it doesn't pan out, you'll end up losing Melissa as a friend...but you can't let that fear rule your life. I'm sure Melissa's cousin Candace can attest to that. She had trouble asking out her boyfriend for a long time, but after being encouraged by her brother's girlfriend, she went for it and asked out her boyfriend Jeremy. The two have gone steady ever since."

Milo smiled and hugged his parents. "Thanks, mom and dad! I'm not sure if I'm ready to face Melissa just yet. But when I am...I know just what to do. For now...I have someone else I want to see."

* * *

And that someone...was his own sister, Sara.

"Sara...I need to talk to you, sis!"

* * *

**And that talk will come...next time! Remember...**

**IT'S MILO'S WORLD AND WE'RE ALL LIVING IN IT!**


	3. Sisterly Support

**Well, it's been a few months, but I'm back with the next part of 'After The Sphere'! ROLL IT!**

* * *

Milo knocked on the door to his sister's room. "Sara, I need to talk to you, sis..." he called out. He was soon greeted by his fangirl of an older sister.

"I had a feeling you'd show up, Milo. Come on in!" Sara greeted, showing her brother into her room. She then noticed a distressed look on Milo's face. "You seem out of it today, little brother. What's wrong? It's this whole Melissa situation, isn't it?"

"It is," Milo confirmed, sitting down next to Sara on her bed. "I mean...I like Melissa. She's my best friend...but I'm not sure I like her THAT way - you know...the way you like Neal."

"And you're afraid you'd wreck what you already have with Melissa if you start a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with her and it goes south?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Sara thought about it for a second. She had been through the same thing years ago before she hooked up with Neal. She was 13 and in 8th grade. She knew Wally liked her, but she wasn't sure if she liked him THAT way. After about a year or so, she did hook up with Wally, but after another year, they broke it off on good terms. Now, 2 years after her amicable breakup with Wally, Sara was going through the same situation again...but this time she was on the advice-giving end as her brother Milo was dealing with his best friend Melissa confessing her feelings to him.

* * *

"I've been through this before...but that's a story for another day," Sara began. "Look, Milo. Melissa would do anything for you. She's the kind of girl that would go to the ends of the Earth for you. Is she not?"

"She is, Sara."

"You remember that show we watched as little kids - 'Kim Possible'?"

"How could I not?"

"Well, there was this one season 2 episode that perfectly describes what you're going through. It's titled 'Blush' and in it, Kim goes on a date with Josh Mankey, not knowing that every time she blushes, part of her vanishes. Ron ends up risking his life to find a rare flower to reverse the effects of Drakken's potion before Kim vanishes. Think about it, Milo. If Melissa were in the situation that Kim was in that episode, wouldn't you do the same for her?"

* * *

Milo replayed the Kim Possible episode in question in his head. He put himself in Ron's shoes and Melissa as Kim. Milo smiled...Sara was right - if Melissa were in that same situation, he'd do the same for her.

"Sara, you're right...I'd do the same for her. I'd go to the ends of the earth and back for Melissa."

* * *

"Well, what are you waiting for, Milo? Go out there and get your dream girl!"

Milo hugged his sister. "Thanks, Sara."

"It's no trouble, Milo...hey, text me when you finally hook Melissa!"

"Don't go embarrassing me, Sara!" Milo retorted.

"No promises, Milo!"

Milo left his sister's room with newfound confidence, but was still unsure of what to do. He then got a text from Melissa telling him to meet her at Googolplex Mall. He thought 'This is it...this is gonna be the day I finally tell Melissa how I feel about her!'

But Murphy's law had other plans. And by other plans...I mean 2 other people showing up to offer their advice.

* * *

**That's right! Cavendish and Dakota are going to be in the next chapter! Milo's Internal Struggle continues...NEXT TIME! Remember...**

**IT'S MILO'S WORLD AND WE'RE ALL LIVING IN IT!**


	4. GREAT SCOTT, MILO!

**Chapter 4 is here! This time, we got Cavendish and Dakota offering some assistance in Milo's internal struggle! ROLL IT!**

* * *

Milo had just gotten a text from Melissa telling him to meet her at Googolplex Mall. Milo couldn't have been happier to get that text, thinking that this would finally be when he'd tell Melissa how he truly felt about her. However...a Time Limo zoomed in at the worst possible moment.

"HEY! Watch where you're going! You almost ran me over!" Milo called out.

Out of the Time Limo came Milo's time-traveling friends: Balthazar Cavendish and Vinnie Dakota.

* * *

"Oh hello, Murphy!" Cavendish greeted.

"What goes on, Milo?" Dakota added.

"I was just on my way to the Googolplex Mall when you guys zoomed in," Milo told the duo. "Just got a text from Melissa telling me to meet her there."

'It's finally happening...' the time-traveling duo thought.

* * *

"You guys...did you catch what Melissa did after we saved Octalia from the Sphere of Calamity?" Milo asked Cavendish and Dakota.

"We did, Milo," Cavendish confirmed.

"Melissa planted one on you...big time," Dakota said, looking back at Milo as the jinx returned to questioning himself. "What's wrong, Milo? Still shocked that Melissa did that?"

"I am. I'm still not completely sure if I like her THAT way. Add to it...I'm crushing on Amanda, or at least...I think I am."

Cavendish took a deep breath before getting down to Milo's eye level.

* * *

"Look, Murphy. Throughout our travels through time, Dakota and I have seen this situation play out many times. Guys like you have used someone else to cover up their true feelings for their real love interest. So perhaps you may be using your crush on Amanda as a cover to hide your true feelings for Melissa," Cavendish explained.

"You really think I've just been using Amanda as a cover story to hide my feelings for Melissa?" Milo asked.

"It's possible, Milo," Dakota told the cursed teen.

* * *

'Man...what's Amanda gonna think when she finds out about this? I don't think she'll ever forgive me...there's no fury much like a woman scorned, is there?' Milo asked himself through a long train of thought.

"I've really got much to think about, don't I?"

"Afraid so, Murphy..." Cavendish told Milo.

"Thanks, you guys. I still have one more person I gotta see..." Milo said, heading off to Googolplex Mall. 'And that someone is the magenta queen herself...Amanda. I hope she's not too furious with me when she finds out that she was a cover to hide my true feelings for Melissa...'

* * *

**Next chapter - Amanda makes her appearance! See ya then and remember...IT'S MILO'S WORLD AND WE'RE ALL LIVING IN IT!**


End file.
